National Republican., 1887-04-04
DwARFs AND MIDeETs.
Tho whims and oddities Of These Little
People.

People.
Detroit Trlbunel
"The dwarf business isn't what It once
was"
VIM. Wheeler, for years a midget specu-
lator, leaned musngly against the anarchist
cage and endeavored to catch the eye Of the
waxy August Spies, who was staring at Miss
Van Zandt across the hall.
"Then, too" continued Mr.. Wheeler,
'sdwarfs are running out. A few years ago
they were springing up, though not very
high, In all parts OF the world. 1t seemed
to be sort OF dwarf age. For awhile 35-
inch dwarf could not earn living salary.
He had 70. possess some striking physical
feature IL he hoped to secure permanent
situations with museum circuits. Now,
however, all this has changed. Lots Of the
old-time Lilliputians have passed away,
and 40-inch freak can get q chair In
q frst-class curio hall II he is good
looking and intelligent. The busi-
ness was very nearly ruined at one
time by tricksters. AS you have possibly
observed, midgets, without exception, have
showmen, when the dwarf supply became
inadequate, would take children with large
heads aud Old faces and work them upon
the circuits. There suddenly became such
an influx Of little folks upon the market
that none Of the true midgets, aside from
Mrs. Stratton or Admiral Dot, could get
work that paid. This has passed away,
and there is no fraud about the present
representatives Of dwarfdom.
~ never saw but two perfectly formed
midgets. These were Mrs. Gen. Tom
Thumb, who 10 now the Countess Rosebud,
and the Princess Lucy. There Ia always
some deformity. Take Gen. Thumb, for
instance. He was badly formed In the
torso. Other people have poorly constructed
limbs or arms, and almsot universally they
are double jointed at the knees or elbows.
You see, the lack OF stature must..be attrib-
utable to something, and as nearly as can
make out It is in the joints.
"What is the most striking characteristic
OF these freaksp 1ntemperance. There is
no class OF people on earth that is so given
to drink. The males always like whisky,
and the females dote on beer. Gen. Thumb
was fond OF smoking, but aside from him
tobacco is not used among the men.
81 never knew of but one family wherein
dwawfs appeared In more than one genera
tion. This occurred IN that OF Admiral
Dot. He is the uncle of Maj. Adams, the
midget clown Of the Barnum show. Adams
is twenty-one inches in height, and his
father was nearly six feet tall Dot is trav-
cling about the country now with little Jen-
ME Quigley. They earn Jointly 500 a
week.
"Speaking about Princess Lucy reminds
me OF the event that brought herinto promi-
nence. Years ago, when the Countess Rose
bud was Mrs. Tom Thumb, report was
circulated that she had been blessed with a
child. This was not the case, and tue story
was made out Of whole cloth by one Of Bar
pum's advertising agents. The Thumb fam
lily were unconscientious enough to take ad-
vantage Of the canard. They had heard Of
the little Princess Lucy, and Mrs. Thumb
sent for her and offered to adopt her, send
her to q convent for few years, and then
introduce her to the world as her daughter.
The scheme was capital Cne, for 1t Is i'm.
possible to tell whether Lucy is or 40
years old. The princess declined the offer.
She V now earning 5000 week for being
eighteen inches high.
t'There are several instances where mid
gets appeared In single generation Of the
family. The Harris sisters are quadruplets.
They vary In height from thirty-six to
forty-two inches, and are daughters Of a
very poor man In Eastport, Me. The
father, mechanic. was magnificent
specimen Of physical manhood, large and
above medium size. These sisters are
badly deformed, all Of them hav-
ing double-jointed elbows. Besides this
they enjoy the reputation OF being the
homeliest midgets In the business. Young
Foster, whose nom de museum is Hop o.
my Thump, Is twenty. eight inches tall. He
has baby brother, not yet year old, that
weighed when ten days old one and one
half pounds.
"Lucy Zirata earns the largest salary OF
any dwarf In the world. She is a native
of Vera Cruz, Mexico, and is very small
Her head Is proportioned nicely to her
physique, but Is shaped like that Of an ape.
Joseph Smith is her manager, and he gets
$500 week for exhibiting her. The little
woman cannot win the affections Of full.
grown mankind, but the men are more
fortunate. Baron Littlefnger married a
lady over FIVE feet tall, and ie
the happy father OF four fine
children. The late Commodore Mutt
welded Manchester, N. H., girl who was
five feet and five inches tall and left one
child at his death. Minnie Warren, sister
OF the Countess Rosebud, 1t is true, married
a roller skater named Newell, who was with
Nat Goodwin In the "Skating Rink"
Newell, however, while hardly midget, is
| greatly under size.
"Midgets are q nervous lot, and few of
| them are more than passably intelligent.
| They fly off a tangent like dove from a
hornets nest. Hop o'My Thumb is the
ugliest younRster Of them all, and he fre.
| quently indulgcs In spasms Of rage. DAN
| gerousp Well, as much as twenty-eight
Inches Of humanity could be expected to